


The Chanukah Story

by tprillahfiction



Series: The Chanukah Story Verse [1]
Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies), Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Babysitting, Chanukah, Chanukah!Fic, Children, Daddy!Spock, Holidays, Jewish Character, Jewish!Spock, K/S Advent 2015, K/S Advent Calendar, K/S Advent Calendar 2015, M/M, Married Couple, Shipboard family life, Young Child, baking cookies, families, hanukkah cookies, hanukkah story, homelife, life in quarters, spock's pov, young children
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-07
Updated: 2015-12-07
Packaged: 2018-05-03 20:59:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5306543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tprillahfiction/pseuds/tprillahfiction
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Spock's watching the kids.  They bake holiday cookies and he tells them the story of Chanukah.  </p><p>Written for K/S Advent 2015</p><p>(with accompanying illustration)</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Chanukah Story

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: mention of minor character death (not Spock, Kirk, McCoy or the children) and the Chanukah story is violent.
> 
> Author's Note: Spock and his son are Jewish in this story so there is mention of religion and Hebrew. 
> 
> I had a heck of a time trying to write down the Chanukah story even after hearing it a million times during my lifetime, so I paraphrased it from the Chabad website and also the book: 'The Story of Hanukkah' by Judyth Groner and Madeline Wikler.
> 
> The illustration for this fic is at the end.

THE CHANUKAH STORY

 

Spock set the dining room table, two white plate settings across from each other. He then placed the tray of dinner in the center. He walked over to the door. It swooshed open to reveal his son, Adam and Dr. McCoy’s son, David, crouched together out in the corridor, playing with their toys. Several model spaceships of various sizes and various action figures lay strewn about the corridor. “Time for your repast,” Spock informed the children.

“What does ‘repast‘ mean, Uncle Spock?” David asked, glancing up, his brown hair falling into his bright blue eyes.

“'Repast' is the evening meal,” Spock told him. “Come in and eat it while it is still hot. Pick up every one of those toys as well before entering.” Spock turned around and went back to the table. The boys rushed in and then past him. “That was not an invitation for a stampede.”

The boys laughed as they threw the toys into the toy box. They sat down at the table, excitedly chirping to each other. Spock poured them both a measure of apple juice.

“Poppi,” Adam said. “I want Tang.”

“Me too, Uncle Spock,” David said.

Spock shook his head. “David, your father would be quite annoyed with me, and rightly so, if I gave you both sugar laden Tang to drink with your dinner.”

“But Tang is what they drink on spaceships! It says so on the commercial! And we’re on a spaceship!” David insisted.

Spock sighed at the child's logic. Perhaps the young boys watched too much television. “It is not regulation to drink Tang on the Starship Enterprise, therefore it is not required, nor is it desirable in this cabin. I will not serve you Tang for your dinner. It is bad enough that we will be baking and decorating cookies for your desert--”

“Cookies!” David called out. “I want cookies!”

“Only if you both eat enough dinner, first. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, Poppi,” Adam said. The boy surrepticiously brought out a dataPADD and began watching a cartoon.

Without a word, Spock walked over, pulled it out of the child's grasp and set it on his desk.

“I want to make a christmas tree cookie,” David declared.

“You can’t, silly,” Adam said, “This is a Jewish home.”

“Oh,” David said with a pout.

“Adam. David may decorate a Christmas tree cookie if he wishes to,” Spock said. “After dinner. Please commence eating your food. Immediately.”

As the boys finally started to consume their evening meal, Spock watched the both of them intently.

Adam and David were both four years of age now. They were often referred to as ‘the twins’ by the rest of the Enterprise crew. While it is fact that both boys had been womb-mates and carried by Dr. McCoy’s late wife, Tonia, the boys did not share DNA.

Dr. McCoy and Dr. M’Benga had miraculously been able to create a zygote containing only the DNA of Spock and his husband Jim Kirk, along with inseminating Tonia with McCoy’s child. Tonia had agreed to carry Spock and Jim’s child in her womb along with her and Dr. McCoy’s own child’s gestation. Therefore, both embryos and later fetuses resided together for nine months. It was a risky pregnancy to say the least. However, much as the process was reliant upon science, the success of it could only be attributed to a miracle. Sometimes even he, a scientist, could scarcely believe that his own child actually existed. He marveled each day at the sight of Adam. Watching the boy grow and learn.   He and Jim had Tonia to thank, and of course Dr. McCoy as well. Tragically, Tonia Barrows McCoy was killed on a mission a year after the boy's birth. Baruch dayan emet.

“Poppi?”

“Yes, Adam?”

“When is daddy coming home?” the boy asked.

“Your father will be on bridge watch for several more hours, Adam,” Spock replied. Unfortunately Jim would not be able to tuck Adam in tonight, but long hours were the norm aboard the Enterprise. Especially for her captain.

While the two boys were not biologically related to one another, Spock suspected that they could communicate with each other just like twins would. Adam Selek Kirk was ten minutes older than David Leonard McCoy, something the two boys reminded each other often during their playtime. Adam and David were mostly being raised as brothers, albeit with two different sets of parents.

Spock often looked after both boys when both Dr. McCoy and Jim were on shift and Dr. McCoy often watched both boys when Spock and Kirk were simultaneously on watch. When Jim, himself and Dr. McCoy were on duty at the same time, the boys were babysat by a special Yeoman young education instructor appointed by Starfleet command. It was working out well so far.

In the beginning, Starfleet hadn’t entirely enamored with the decision of it’s Enterprise senior officers to pro-create--Adam and David were the only children at this point living aboard the Enterprise-- but since they had all managed to work out a schedule, the brass had backed off.

Spock and Jim had elected to not be too strictly Vulcan with Adam’s upbringing. Spock found that he did not mind Adam smiling, laughing, expressing emotion outwardly, and in fact since Adam favored Jim so much in appearance besides the pointed ears, Spock found it rather endearing. Adam also did not appear to be telepathic, but that might develop later on. Being only a quarter Vulcan, Adam could choose to have Vulcan C’thia training at a later age if he wished, but it was not required. Adam’s grandparents had begrudgingly accepted the decision but took comfort in one thing: Since Amanda was Jewish, Spock was Jewish. Vulcans and Earth Judaism were surprisingly very compatible and there was a colony of Jewish Vulcans on T'Khasi. Spock had wished to raise his own progeny as a Jew. Jim, who was not particularly religious, had agreed.

The boys finished their evening meal to Spock’s satisfaction. They drank all of their apple juice. They helped Spock clear the plates away, positively vibrating with the anticipation of baking their cookies.

Spock brought out the ingredients, a mixing bowl, a baking sheet, and a rolling pin. He placed identical white aprons on the boys and one on himself.

These were vegan cookies so they did not require eggs or milk. Under his supervision, the boys mixed the ingredients together. David managed to spill the container of flour as they were pouring it into the bowl. Getting the white powder everywhere: On the table, the deck at their feet, on Spock and the boys themselves.

"Oops," David said.

Spock shrugged. "No harm done. We shall clean it up later." He showed the boys how to roll out the cookie dough flat enough so that they could use cookie cutters to cut out shapes.

David giggled when he spotted the Christmas tree, Santa Claus and reindeer cookie cutters for his benefit. For Adam there were Stars of David shapes, dreidel shapes and menorah shaped cookie cutters.

Spock pressed the Star of David cookie cutter into the dough to demonstrate to the boys. "See? Now you try."

The boys did, and made several very nice cookies. "Excellent work. Now we will place the cookies into the oven." Spock picked up the baking sheet. The boys followed him over.

There was a traditional galley type oven built into their large, well appointed kitchen so that Spock could do traditional style cooking without leaving his cabin. He and Jim were the only ones aboard who had such an oven in quarters. If other crew wished to cook, they were able to use the crew galley, but often Spock would invite other crew in to use his oven to cook or bake if they wished.

"Now what do we do?" David asked.

"Now, we wait. One half hour." Spock set the time on the alarm. "When that rings our cookies will be done and we remove them from the oven."

"That's a long wait, Poppi," Adam said.

"The anticipation makes the time seem longer. Nevertheless, the waiting period is mandatory."

Somehow, Adam had gotten ahold of his dataPADD again. Spock walked over, pulled it out of the boy's hand and set it back down on the desk. He gave the boy a warning glance.

"Uncle Spock?"

"Yes, David?"

“Why don’t you have a Christmas tree?”

“Because we’re Jewish, stupid,” Adam snapped. “Jews don’t have Christmas trees.”

“Adam,” Spock warned the boy and arched his eyebrow at him to kindly desist his untoward behavior. “David, a Christmas tree is a Christmas holiday symbol. Adam and I are Jewish and we do not celebrate Christmas. During this time of year, Jews celebrate Chanukah.”

“Chan...uh...kah?” David asked.

“Chanukah,” Spock enunciated.

David pointed to a cookie cutter shape that still sat on the table. “What is that, Uncle Spock?”

“That cookie cutter is a representation of a dreidel.”

“What’s a dreidel?”

“It is a game that Jewish children and grown-ups play during Chanukah. Thousands of years ago on Earth, Jews were forbidden by the local government from studying Torah, our books of Jewish Law. Jewish children knew that a Jew without Torah is like an Earth fish out of water. So Jewish children played dreidel, a small top that they spun after secreting their texts, to fool the guards. And the guards were fooled." Spock went over to the kitchen drawer and pulled out a dreidel, handing it to David.

"That's a dreidel, Uncle Spock?"

"Precisely." Spock took it, and spun it on the table to demonstrate. David giggled. "What are the letters on the dreidel, Adam?" Spock asked.

"Nun....gimmel...hey....shin."

"Excellent. What do the letters stand for, Adam?"

"Nes gadol hayah sham. A great miracle happened there.  And when we make the letter 'shin' with our hand, Poppi, it is the same greeting for: 'Live Long and Prosper.'"

Spock could not hide a small smile at that. "Very good, Adam. David, Chanukah is when the Jewish people remember the miracle of the lights."

“Oh. What is that?” David pointed to another cookie.

“That is a representation of a Chanukiah, or also known as a Menorah. We light the candles or the olive oil on the Chanukiah as we remember the miracle of Chanukah.”

“And I get presents for eight nights!” Adam said.

“Yes,” Spock confirmed with a smirk.

“Woah!” David said. “I want presents for eight nights, too!”

Spock gave the boy a fond glance. “I am certain that your father will have plenty of gifts for you to open on Christmas morning.”

“You light candles on the Men...men...?” David asked.

“The Menorah?” Spock hesitated a moment. “David, would you like me to tell you the story of Chanukah?”

“YES!” both Adam and David yelled out at the top of their lungs.

Spock covered his ears. “Not so loud. We do have neighbors.”

“Poppi,” Adam said, “Daddy told me our quarters are soundproofed.”

Spock rolled his eyes. “Why, so they are, Adam. Well, we do have time before the cookies are ready. Sit down."

The boys eagerly sat down at the table.

Spock sat down across from them and began: "Thousands of years ago, on Earth, there was a time when the state of Israel where the Jewish people lived, was part of the Syrian-Greek empire. Israel used to be called Judea. Its capital was called Jerusalem. For many years the Jews had worked hard to build a beautiful Temple there. On Shabbat and the Jewish festivals, they came to the temple to pray. They brought baskets filled with fruit and other gifts and put them on the Temple altar. Antiochus III was the king of Syria who had annexed the land of Judea. He was a cruel king who wanted the Jews to follow the Greek religion, and not God. The Greeks of long ago worshipped many gods. They believed that there was a god that made the sun shine, another who made the flowers grow, and other gods who made it rain and thunder. They built statues called idols and put them in their homes and temples. The Jews believe in one God. We believe that you cannot see God and you cannot build statues or draw pictures of what you believe God looks like. The Jews of Judea refused to follow the Greek religion.

"The king wanted everyone to obey his commands. He ordered the Jews to change their names to Greek names, wear Greek clothing and eat Greek foods. He ordered them to put Greek idols in front of their homes and pray to them. The Jews refused. The king was very angry. He ordered his solders to march into Jerusalem. They destroyed homes, and set fires in the streets. They stormed into the Temple and destroyed the Holy Ark. They built a Greek idol and put it on the Temple altar.

"The king died and so his son, Seleucus IV took over. This king further oppressed the Jewish people who lived in Judea. Then Seleucus was killed and his brother Antiochus IV began to rein over Syria and the land of Israel. He was also a harsh and cruel king. He taxed the Jewish people. He removed the High Priest Yochanan from the Temple in Jerusalem and installed Yohanan's brother who called himself by the greek name of 'Jason'. Jason did not observe Jewish laws, instead he helped to spread Greek customs among the priesthood and collected tax money from the Jewish people.

"Jason was later replaced by another man named Menelaus who promised the king that he would bring in more tax money than Jason did. When Yochanan, the former high priest protested against the spread of the Greek influence in the Holy Temple, Menelaus had him assassinated."

"What does assassinated, mean?" David asked.

"Killed," Spock said. "Murdered."

"Woah." David's eyes grew large.

"King Antiochus was at the time, engaged in a war against Egypt. Messengers from Rome arrived and commanded the king to stop the war. A rumor had spread that a serious accident had befallen the king. So the people rose up and rebelled against the high priest, Menelaus. He fled. King Antiochus returned from Egypt and was angry at the Roman demands. He ordered his army to kill the Jews. Thousands of Jewish people were murdered. King Antiochus made a series of laws against the Jews. Jewish worship was forbidden. The scrolls of the Law were burned. Again the king tried to force the Jews to worship pagan gods. Only one area remained. The Hills of Judea. But even there many Jews were killed. The high priest, Mattiyahu, said: "I, my sons and my brothers are determined to remain loyal to the covenant which our God made with our ancestors." Mattiyahu attacked the syrian officers and killed them. He left his own village and fled with his sons to the hills of Judea. Many other Jews followed him there. Mattiyahu called his sons together and urged them to fight in defense of the Torah. Their leader in war became Judah who was known as Maccabee, a word comprised of the initial letters of: Mi kamocha Ba'eilim Hashem. 'Who is like you, O God.'"

The Maccabees fought against the Greek's powerful army and won. They returned to Jerusalem to liberate it from the Greeks. They entered the Holy Temple and cleared it of the idols placed there by the vandals. They cleaned and fixed up the Temple. The walls had been crumbling and weeds had been growing in the yard. They scrubbed and polished the stone walls and planted new trees. Judah and the Maccabees built a new altar, because the old one had been destroyed. The Temple's golden Menorah had been stolen by the Syrians. So the Maccabees built another one from a cheaper metal. When they wanted to light the Menorah, they found only a small amount of pure olive oil bearing the seal of the high priest Yochanan. The oil was sufficient to only burn for one day. However, the Menorah continued to burn for eight days, until the Maccabees were able to obtain more pure olive oil."

"Woah, eight days?" David asked. "How did the Menorah stay lit that long, Uncle Spock?"

"It was a miracle, from God. In memory of this miracle, Jewish families also light the a special eight branched Menorah known as a Chanukiah, to remember that miracle in the Temple." Spock paused. "David, I hope your father does not mind me relating such a violent story to you. But that is why we Jews celebrate Chanukah."

"I liked the story, Uncle Spock!"

The timer dinged. Spock went to the oven. The boys followed. "I know you did," Spock replied. He had an inkling that the boys would be playing 'The Maccabee's against the Syrian army' with their action figures tomorrow.

Spock pulled out the cookie sheet and set it on top of the oven. "Yay!" the boys yelled out.

"After they cool a bit, then we can decorate them with icing." Spock began to mix up the various colors. Green and red for David and Blue and White for Adam.

They decorated them and without delay, the boys commenced eating their cookie.

Spock took a bite of his own. Delicious.

______________  
END

Happy Chanukah!

"Spock and The Boys Bake Cookies" illustration by tprillahfiction/hamnerd.


End file.
